Movin' On Up
by Smackalicious
Summary: Bruce and Amy discuss what’s going to happen for them now that Amy’s in the political arena. Postseries. Spoilers for My Name Is Amy Gray. CHAPTER SEVEN UP AUGUST 15TH!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Movin' On Up  
Rating: PG-13/possibly R  
Paring: Bruce/Amy  
Series:Chapter 1 of a likely longish fic  
Summary: Bruce and Amy discuss what's going to happen for them now that Amy's in the political arena. Post-series.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Judging Amy or Bruce or Amy or any of the characters from the show. They belong to CBS.  
Spoilers: "My Name Is Amy Gray."  
Author's Notes: I told myself I was going to wait to write more Judging Amy fic, and then I was looking through Judging Amy fics last night and got totally inspired and was like, well, no one else is writing any Bramy, so I'm going to do it! I hope everyone enjoys this and REVIEWS! Because reviews will seriously make me write faster and make me write more. I am serious. They inspire me more than anything else, to know that people are reading it and enjoying it.**

Movin' On Up - Chapter 1  


"Thank you, Ms. Gray. Your words will be taken into consideration. We're dismissed."

Amy shot out of her chair and clambered over whatever was in her way to get to Bruce. He saw her struggling and grabbed her hand before she tripped and fell.

"Oh my God, Bruce," she said, now standing before him, her hand still in his. "I still can't believe you're here. I thought for sure that the way we left things were the way we left things and that message to you was just some last minute attempt at getting an apology or something out of you, even though I should've been the one apologizing, and I did apologize, but I never expected you to actually show up in Washington." She paused to take a breath and Bruce started talking.

"That all?" he asked, amused.

She squinted her eyes and shook her head. "I mean, it's _Washington_. It's not like you had to drive 5 minutes downtown or something, you had to make _plans _to get down here as soon as you did and you have Rebecca to think of, so it's not like you could just hop on a plane or a train and get down here. How _did _you get down here?"

Bruce started laughing, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm glad we're back, too." He pressed a kiss into her hair as she snuggled into his embrace. "We should probably get out of here, huh?"

Amy poked her head up from its resting spot on his chest. She took in the nearly empty room and chuckled. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She slipped out of his embrace, but left his arm draped across her shoulders as they headed back to the holding room to gather her belongings.

On their way down the hall, they were met by Marty.

"Amy, hey, great job in there," he said, strolling up to them and causing them to pause in their journey.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks," Amy said, nodding. "You remember Bruce Van Exel, my former CSO?"

"How could I forget?" he said, sticking his hand out. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Van Exel."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at the outstretched hand, then gripped it in his own, giving it a few firm pumps. "Likewise."

Seeing as how Bruce wasn't going to say anything else, Marty focused his attention back on Amy. "So, there's a luncheon going on in about half an hour across town. There are sure to be some political bigshots who'll be dying to talk with you about your performance today."

Amy smiled at the floor, then looked back up at Marty."No, no, I think I've had enough politics for one day. I just want to settle back and not think about anything for awhile."

Marty nodded slowly, piecing together her true intentions. "Ah, I see. Well, there'll be plenty of other events in the future. Feel free to bring Mr. Van Exel with you. The media will just eat that up." With that, he strutted off, leaving Bruce gaping after him.

"Can you believe him?" he asked, clearly frustrated.

"Relax, he didn't mean anything by it," Amy said.

Bruce turned to look at her. "Oh, so now you're sticking up for Mr. Politics?"

Amy laughed. "No. No, I know how much of a jackass he can be. He just – I know he's just trying to make it in a world that's not so easy, and I can relate. So give him some slack."

Bruce nodded. "No, you're right," he admitted. "Hopefully he'll meet someone at that luncheon who will completely distract him from you." He started laughing and Amy soon joined him as they resumed their walk down the hall.

They were silent for a few minutes, then Amy spoke. "So, you never did tell me how you got down here."

Bruce shrugged. "I got your message and I knew I couldn't just sit at home, watching you on C-SPAN. I had to be here. So I called up the airport, left Rebecca with my neighbor, and voila. Here I am." He grinned down at her and Amy beamed back.

They reached the holding room and Amy pushed the door open. She grabbed her purse and unzipped it to take out her phone. "Oh, would you look at that?" She grinned up at Bruce. "My mother tried calling. I suppose I should give her a ring back."

She slipped entirely from his grasp this time, pacing the room as she waited for someone to pick up. When someone did, she jolted slightly and ran a hand through her hair. "Hey, Ma. I saw you called. Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty happy with how things went, too. Yeah, I noticed. Ma, come on." She started laughing. "Oh, I didn't realize that. Well, Marty's gonna have fun with that one." She turned and caught Bruce's questioning look, but waved it off. "Yeah, I'll tell him hi. Listen, I gotta go. Oh my God! I don't wanna talk about that with you, Ma. Gotta go. Bye." She strained herself to get the last few words out, then quickly flipped the phone shut.

"So, what is it that Marty's going to have fun with?" Bruce asked, walking up to her.

She started laughing. "Apparently they were still filming coverage even after the hearing."

Bruce started laughing as well. "Yeah, I'll say Marty's definitely gonna have fun with that one." He shook his head in disbelief. "So, where did you want to go to 'not think about anything for awhile'?" he asked, quoting her earlier statement to Marty.

"Well," Amy drawled, "the hotel I'm staying at does have a nice hot tub." She suggestively moved closer to Bruce, signalling that she was ready to make the move to take their relationship to being more than just friends.

Bruce looked down at her, all seriousness. "That sounds like the best plan I've heard all day." She smiled at him again as he slipped an arm around her shoulders and led them from the building.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The steamy water swirled and bubbled around Bruce and Amy, who had changed into swimsuits and were relaxing in the hot tub in Amy's hotel room.

"So," Bruce started, motioning around the room, "did Marty help pay for this? I mean, I've seen how obsessed he is with you. He probably thought he could get a little action in if he sprung for a room with a hot tub." He started laughing, and Amy swatted at him.

"You be quiet," she ordered, smiling. "I think he knows I'm not on the market."

Bruce's chuckles died down and he raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? And why would that be?"

Amy's lips curled up into a devious smile. "Maybe I'm already taken."

Bruce nodded, more to himself than to her. "Yeah, I can see that." He paused and looked at her. "So, where do we go from here?"

Amy sighed. "I was hoping it would just happen, like in some romantic comedy or something, where there are these two best friends and suddenly they're together without that awkward middle phase."

"It doesn't have to be awkward, you know," Bruce said softly, brushing her hair from her face. She gazed up at him and he leaned in and brushed her lips with his own.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Amy still looked completely awestruck when they pulled apart. "That was nice," she finally said, and Bruce began to laugh again.

"I was hoping for that kind of response," he said, nodding. "But now the big question is, are you going to run for senator?"

Amy shrugged. "Do you think I should?"

Bruce chuckled. "If you're asking me if you should do it, something says you don't really want to do it."

"But won't I be able to make more of a difference in the senate?" she rationalized.

"As compared to working as a judge?" Bruce asked, and Amy nodded. "I don't know, Amy. The political world isn't an easy one to be in."

"Neither is the legal world," she cut in. "Maybe I just need to do something altogether different, nothing relating to the juvenile justice system. Something like accounting."

"Would you really be happy working in a stuffy office filing other people's taxes?"

Amy shrugged. "Probably not. But I wouldn't have to worry about holding other people's lives in my hands."

"Nope," Bruce agreed. "Just their money. But to some people," he continued to run his hand through her curls, "their money is their life."

That comment caused yet another bout of laughter from both of them, and Amy laid her head on Bruce's chest. "I don't know," she muttered into his skin, placing a kiss on the patch of skin covering his heart. "I wish life weren't so complicated."

Bruce shrugged. "Then it wouldn't be life."

"Tell me about it," Amy said. She slid into an upright position again and nodded her head to the actual hotel room. "Maybe we should get out of here before we turn into human prunes."

"You got a better idea for how we should be spending our evening?" Bruce asked deviously, his mouth upturned into a smirk.

"Mmm, maybe," she said, leaving a lingering kiss on his lips. "Marty did send up that bottle of champagne." They stepped from the hot tub, towelling off as they got out.

"Oh, yeah," Bruce said, acting like he had forgotten. "He probably made plans for that before he knew your very handsome former CSO would be joining you." He tugged at an imaginary tie, and Amy laughed at his silliness.

"Hush," she ordered. "I told you already that Marty wasn't interested in me. And it wouldn't make a bit of difference if he was, because I," she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, "have the company of my very handsome former CSO." She gave him yet another kiss, this one lasting considerably longer and becoming more intense than either of the other two.

Amy made a little purring sound as they pulled away and looked dreamily into Bruce's eyes. "I think I could get used to this," she said, grinning. She set her feet back on the ground and flipped around, grabbing Bruce's hand and pulling him to the main area of the hotel room.

Amy flopped onto the bed as Bruce walked over to where a bucket of ice sat with a fresh bottle of champagne jammed in it, and picked up a small card from the tray sitting next to the bucket. "Look at this," Bruce announced, taking the card from the envelope. Amy rolled over to face him, resting her chin on her hand. "Your little buddy Marty sent a note with the champagne." Amy clambered from the bed and joined Bruce beside the table on which the champagne was sitting.

"Give me that," she ordered, grabbing the card from his hands. She began to read the note out loud. " 'Amy – Thought you deserved a drink after that surely hectic day in "court." Enjoy! – Marty.' See? Told you it was innocent."

Bruce snatched the card from her before she could protest. " 'P.S. Have "fun" with Mr. Van Exel.' Oh, yeah, completely innocent." He chuckled, and Amy snagged the card from him, grinning.

"At least he was right about one thing," Amy said.

"What's that?" Bruce asked, uncorking the bottle of champagne.

Amy took the bottle from his hands and set it on the table. "I am prepared to have a _lot_ of fun with you tonight." She grinned. "How's that sound?"

Bruce shrugged. "Sounds like we should get started right now." Without any further warning, he picked her up and swung her into his arms, causing her to squeal in surprise.

Amy rested her head on his chest. "Yeah, this was definitely the best decision I've made in a long time."

Bruce smiled down at her. "I couldn't agree more." He gave her a small kiss before launching them both onto the bed, causing them both to erupt into peals of laughter before settling down and kissing once more.

Oh, yes, definitely a good decision.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Amy lay on her side, running her fingers along Bruce's collarbone. "You're such a beautiful man," she said, admiring the way his body curved.

"Why, thank you," Bruce said. "I like to think so myself." He started laughing and Amy whacked him with a pillow.

"You just ruined a potentially wonderful moment," she said.

"Aw, I'm sorry," he apologized, brushing his hand through her hair. "Now what is it you were saying?"

"Forget it," she said, avoiding his gaze.

He tipped her chin up so her eyes met his. "Don't tempt me."

She sighed. "It's just that...You're so selfless. You always put others before yourself. I mean, you dropped everything to come down here. For me." She looked him in the eye again.

"Well, I did have a pretty selfish reason for coming down here," Bruce commented. Amy smiled. "Like I wanted your only ally down here to be that scummy Marty."

Her smile grew wider as she shook her head. "You just won't give up on this Marty thing, will you?"

He shrugged. "What can I say? I guess I'm a little overprotective when it comes to you and strange men." He brushed back the strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes and found Amy smiling. "That so wrong of me?"

"No, not at all," she said. "I think it's rather...chivalrous, you always willing to be my knight in shining armor."

"Well, hopefully I'll be able to put the armor away now," he said, smiling.

Amy gave him another dreamy look and they were about to kiss again when a knock on the door interrupted them.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at Amy. "You expecting company?"

She shook her head, rising from the bed and grabbing one of the robes hanging in the bathroom before answering the door. When she opened the door, Marty pushed past her in a hurry, not even waiting to be invited in.

"Marty?" she asked to his back. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry to interrupt your party," he said, going directly for the tv in the front of the room, "but you have to see this." He flipped the tv on and turned to C-SPAN.

Amy looked to where he was pointing and saw the video of herself and Bruce hugging. "Is that all?" she asked. "Because we already knew about that. It's not a big deal." She was trying hard not to smirk, because his reaction was just what they had expected.

"Not a big deal?" Marty repeated. "Have you heard what's being said about you?"

Amy's face fell. "What? They're talking about me?" She looked at Bruce, worried.

Bruce kneeled up on the bed, shaking his head. "I'm sure it's nothing. You know how people talk."

"No, if people are saying things about me, I want to know." She turned back to Marty. "What are they saying?"

Marty sighed. "You can listen for yourself." He turned up the volume on the tv and a male voice filled the room.

"The former judge is alleged to have been carrying on an affair with her court services office while still presiding over court," the man was saying.

"Well, that's not true," Amy announced. "There's nothing to prove that."

Marty grimaced. "That's not all."

They turned back to the tv. "Speculation is about whether Ms. Gray's relationship wiht Mr. Van Exel is a ploy to gain votes from the African-American community should she run for the Senate. Also of concern is the fact that she is a single..."

Bruce reached out and punched the power button, silencing the man. He then turned to Marty. "I'd like you to leave now."

Marty sighed, frustrated. "Mr. Van Exel, I respect you, but..."

"If you respected me, you'd leave," Bruce interrupted him, voice firm.

Marty let out another sigh. "Fine. Fine. But you'll have to deal with this eventually."

Bruce didn't say anything, just continued to stare at him until he left. As soon as the door closed, he turned his gaze to Amy. She was just standing there, looking blankly at the wall.

"Amy," he said softly, slightly jolting her concentration. "You okay?"

She looked at him, eyes not completely registering his. "They're doing it again. This is Keeler all over." He opened his mouth to interrupt her, but she held up her hands, stopping him. "Yes, I know it's not _Keeler_ doing this, but it's the same thing. Why?! Why the hell can't people just let us be together and live our goddamn lives?"

Bruce could tell she was close to crying – or at the very least, breaking down – so he stepped forward, holding open his arms.

Amy stepped into him, leaning her forehead against his chest. She didn't cry, though, just let out a strangled cry of annoyance, grasping his upper arms.

"Hey," Bruce finally said, causing Amy to look up at him, "it's not like we haven't made it through something like this before. There's no proof that we were involved while you were still a judge. And who cares if we are now? It's nobody's business but our own." Amy smiled at him and he wrapped his arms even tighter around her.

They were silent for a few minutes, just standing there in their embrace, and then Amy spoke, her voice slightly muffled by Bruce's shirt. "I know what you gotta do next." She lifted her head to look Bruce in the face.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Help me find a different line of work." She placed his head back on his chest, sighing.

"You serious?" Bruce asked, tilting his head to get a better look at her face.

She shrugged against him. "I don't know. I don't know if I can be objective anymore."

"You don't hae to be objective if you're running for Senate," Bruce said, "just passionate. Which you are."

"And incredibly immoral and only interested in your own gain," Amy continued.

Bruce sighed himself. "You're right. Maybe you're not cut out for the political world. But you can't just settle for some meaningless job at the IRS, collecting debt from the nation's tax duckers. You're too good for that."

Amy sighed. "I know. That's what makes this all so damn difficult. Either I do something to better society and be miserable or do something that doesn't matter and be miserable."

Bruce chuckled softly. "You weren't that miserable in juvenile, were you?"

"Not until Graciela," Amy said and sighed again. "I can't do that job anymore, I can't do this job...What's left for me?" She looked up at Bruce, her eyes searching his for an answer.

"Social work?" That got them both laughing again, and Bruce smoothed Amy's hair with his hand. "You could always become a child advocate."

Amy snorted. "That's gonna pay the bills."

"Don't worry about it," Bruce told her.

"Don't worry about it?" Amy repeated. "I have a child to provide for. No matter how happy I'll be doing advocacy or how much of a difference I'll make, if I can't support myself..."

"I'll do it," Bruce interrupted her.

She looked up at him, eyes wide in amazement. "You'll...You don't have to...I mean, we _just_...What?"

Bruce laughed and gathered her to him again. "Everything'll be fine. I've got your back." He kissed the top of her head and rocked her in his arms, and Amy knew every word he said was true.


	4. Chapter 4

That night, they slept in each other's arms, glad to have a place where they could feel safe. 

Amy snored, and Bruce shifted a lot, but all was good.

Morning light filtered in through the blinds, creating stripes across their sleeping bodies. Amy was the first to awaken, stretching and yawning. She gazed over at Bruce, who was lying facedown, right arm slung over the side of the bed. She smiled to herself.

"That's definitely a sight I could get used to," she said, leaning over a brushing a kiss across Bruce's shoulderblades. He stirred slightly, but didn't wake, so Amy padded to the bathroom, picking up her cell phone on the way to check any missed calls.

She entered the small room and closed the door, not wanting to wake Bruce, then turned on her phone. The green-lit screen announced she had several new voicemails, most of which she assumed were from her mother.

She stood in front of the mirror, fixing her hair, while listening to the messages. The first two were from Maxine, as expected, but the third one threw her for a loop and she nearly dropped the phone in her surprise.

Just then, a sleepy Bruce pushed open the bathroom door, scaring her further, and she let out a little shriek.

Bruce held up his hands, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "Whoa, whoa, it's just me. What are you doing?" He motioned to the phone.

She gaped at him, then at the phone, as if she had forgotten she was holding it, then back at Bruce. She didn't say anything.

He furrowed his eyebrows and stepped closer to her. "Amy? What's wrong? Did something happen back home? Do we need to go back to Hartford?"

She shook her head. "David," she mumbled.

Bruce's eyebrows narrowed even further. "David MacClaren? What the hell did he want?"

Amy looked up at him, as if she just realized he was just standing there. "He said he saw me on C-SPAN and wanted to congratulate me."

Bruce scoffed. "Typical. Leaves without saying a word and then expects that he can just get you back with a phone call. I can't believe his nerve. Hasn't he caused you enough pain?" He looked at the ceiling and shook his head.

Amy remained silent. She was still looking lost, like she wondered where David had even gotten her number or why he was calling her. "Why did he call me?" she spoke aloud, causing Bruce to look at her. "I mean, after everything that happened, you wouldn't think he'd just pick up the phone and call me after he saw me on C-SPAN. Or would he?"

"What's his number?" Bruce asked, reaching for her phone.

Amy pulled her hand out of his reach. "Why?"

"I am going to call Mr. MacClaren and give him a piece of my mind. There is no way he's going to get away with harassing you and not hear about it from me." He reached for her phone again, and she put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"No, no, Bruce, I'm sure he meant well. There was nothing threatening in his voice. He probably just..." She trailed off, at a loss for what to say next.

"Probably just what?" Bruce asked. "Come on, Amy. You don't need to stand up for these men. You're way too good for all of them. I don't know why you can't see that." He tipped her chin up with the tips of his fingers.

"I know, I know," she said, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around him. "I guess it's just in my nature to give people second chances."

"Well, there are second chances and then there's you," Bruce disagreed. "I've seen the way you operate. You can be completely done with a guy, and as soon as he shows interest in you again, you decide that maybe he's not so bad after all. You don't need to do that anymore."

Amy was silent for a minute, then finally repeated, "The way I operate?" with a slightly disgusted tone to her voice. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She slipped out of his arms. "Like I have some kind of game plan when it comes to relationships? That's reassuring coming from you, of all people." she stepped past him and entered the main room, sitting on the bed and changing into her clothes.

"You know I didn't mean that," Bruce said, joining her in the main room. "Besides, every time someone says something less than stellar about you, you get defensive."

"Do you blame me?" she asked, yanking on a stocking. "I haven't exactly been the poster girl for successful or healthy relationships. I don't need you reminding me of all the horrible choices I've made in the past."

"I know," Bruce said, swabbing a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. You know I..." He trailed off, realizing what he had almost said without even realizing it.

"You what?" Amy asked, trying to keep her grin in check. She wasn't about to let him just stop right there.

He smiled himself, closing his eyes and shaking his head at the floor. He walked over to her, squatted in front of her, and took her hands in his. "I was going to say, you know I..."

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting Bruce. Amy groaned, and Bruce grinned down at their intertwined hands, then kissed her on the cheek before she got up to answer the door.

"Talk about bad timing," Amy muttered as she stood up. She walked towards the door, tossing a, "Get dressed!" at Bruce as she did so.

She was smiling and shaking her head as she answered the door, but the smile soon turned into a look of surprise.

"Don't look so happy to see me, Judge Gray."

"I'm just...surprised, that's all, Donna," Amy responded, and Donna pushed past her and entered the hotel room.

"Whoa, nice digs!" Donna exclaimed, taking in the surroundings. "This Marty guy must really like you, huh?" She elbowed Amy in the side, nodding at her, and as she was doing so, Bruce walked out of the bathroom, buttoning up his shirt.

Donna saw him and waved, like it was completely expected for him to be there. "Hey, Bruce" She started looking around the room again, then it hit her and she reeled back in realization, pointing back and forth from Bruce to Amy. "Bruce. Like, you mean, Bruce, as in...Bruce?"

Amy and Bruce both grinned at Donna's reaction. Bruce slung an arms over Amy's shoulders, and Amy answered, "Yeah. As in, Bruce."

"Wow," Donna breathed. "That is so cool!" She started giggling, and Bruce and Amy began laughing with her.

"So, Donna, why are you here?" Bruce asked, and Amy shot him a grateful look.

Donna shrugged. "Just wanted to offer my support." She turned to Amy. "Please tell me you're still considering running for the Senate. They need someone like you. You can change things, I know you can."

Amy let out a deep breath. "It's not that easy, Donna. I have a lot to consider, like..." She trailed off as she suddenly remembered the promise she had made to her daughter. She slipped out from under Bruce's arm and rushed to grab her phone.

"Like what?" Donna asked.

"Lauren, honey," Amy said into the phone, ignoring both Bruce and Donna. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to check in. No, no, of course I'm still keeping my promise. Well, yes, that's something we'll all have to get used to. I'm sorry I didn't - look, noodle, it was a long time coming. And I promise that this is serious." She lowered her voice as she continued. "You like Bruce. He's never been anything but respectful. No, no, you are still a big part... Of course I'm going to listen to what... Honey, honey, when I get back home, we can talk about this more. Okay? I'm not making any decisions yet. I don't know how long I'll be here. I kinda thought I'd take it easy for awhile, have a little fun while I'm here... Okay, sorry. I know you didn't want to know. Look, whenever I'm ready to come back home, I'll let you know. And every decision from here on out is the two of us. I promise. See you later, noodle. Love your guts!" She pulled the phone from her ear and flipped it shut, turning back to Bruce and Donna, who were smirking at her. "What?"

"You're gonna have a little fun while you're here?" Bruce repeated. "I'd like to know what exactly you have planned for us." He raised an eyebrow and started laughing, and Amy joined him.

"Yeah, no kidding," Donna suddenly said, and both Bruce and Amy gave her a look. "Oh. Right. You were talking about... I think I'm gonna go check out the city. I'll...see you back in Hartford. I guess."

"Bye, Donna," Amy said, and Donna nodded, quickly leaving the room.

Once Donna was gone, Amy flipped around to face Bruce. "So, whaddaya say we get a head start on that fun we're going to have?"

Bruce moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'd say the fun's already started, wouldn't you?" He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, and her response to the kiss was all the agreement he needed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bruce and Amy walked down the streets of Washington, taking in the sights, drinking coffee, and discussing Amy's future career path.

"So, will it really be Senator Gray?" Bruce asked, taking a sip of his latte.

Amy sighed. "Even if I do decide to run, that doesn't mean I'll get elected."

Bruce nodded. "True. But with your qualifications, and your passion for this issue, you're a shoo-in. The public is going to eat you up."

"God, you're starting to sound like Marty." She laughed, and he did as well. They happened upon an abandoned park bench and Amy motioned that they should sit. "We just gonna talk about me all day?"

Bruce took another drink of his coffee, hedging her question. "You're the one considering making this place a second home."

"Seriously, Bruce, if you think I'm making a mistake here..." Amy started, and Bruce shook his head, facing her.

"I would tell you if I thought you were making a mistake," he insisted, then hesitated, and Amy placed a hand on his thigh, worried.

"What?" Amy asked. "If there's something you're hiding from me..."

"No, there's nothing I'm hiding," he insisted. "I just...Remember this morning? Right before Donna interrupted?"

Amy nodded, and her mouth suddenly felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton.

"Well," he started again, then looked around them, as if checking to see if Donna was about to interrupt them again, "I was about to say that I was sorry, and that you knew I..."

He stopped and Amy urged him on. "You...? Come on, out with it before Donna magically shows up again."

He chuckled. "I love you," he finally said, and grinned nervously.

Amy attempted to keep her own smile in check. "Wow," was all she could manage to get out as a response.

"That surprise you or something?" Bruce asked, still laughing.

Amy shook her head, her grin spreading and threatening to swallow the entire lower half of her face. "No. I just...It's so good to finally hear it, you know? And yeah, I do know that. I pretty much feel the same way, you know."

"Pretty much?" Bruce asked, feigning hurt. "That's always nice to hear."

Amy laughed at his antics. "Hush," she ordered him. "I think," she began again, calming from her laughing, "that I may have always know that I loved you. But the two of us together, it was something you weren't open to, so I pushed the thought away, just pretended I didn't have feelings for you, that it was something brought on by years upon years of looking for that perfect guy and falling for every man in my path." She moved closer to him and snuggled into his side. "I'm so glad you finally came to your senses and helped my unravel at least part of my life."

He dropped a kiss into her hair. "I'm pretty glad about it myself." Amy pulled away slightly and looked at him as he did some explaining of his own. "There were always so many reasons that I shouldn't have been in love with you. You were my boss. You were feisty and opinionated, and I was level-headed."

"And I'm white," Amy interrupted him. "And you believe in black families."

Bruce sighed. "That was part of it, too. I couldn't let myself love you because I didn't want you to be seen as a trophy. You're too good for that."

"I'm just too good for everything, aren't I?" Amy asked, grinning.

Bruce pretended to ponder that for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess you are." They both shared a laugh at that, and Amy relaxed back into Bruce's embrace.

"Washington," she murmured.

Bruce nodded. "Yeah. Washington."

"I have to talk to Lauren first."

"Of course."

She wiggled out of his arms again. "She wanted me to come down here, you know. She told me to 'go kick their butts.'" Amy laughed in remembrance of her daughter's words.

Bruce chuckled along with her. "Sounds like you have her approval, then. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," she agreed, rubbing her palms on her pants. "I'm not gonna think about it right now. I have plenty of time, and I want to spend a few days with you, not thinking about anything related to politics."

Bruce grinned. "That is all I want to do myself. And just what, I ask, do you have planned to keep your mind off politics?" Amy tipped her head to look at him and saw the questioning expression on his face.

She quickly turned her head back towards the street, her face hot. The implications of that question were staggering. She chuckled nervously. "Well, there's always the White House..."

"That still involves politics," Bruce said dryly, then sighed. "I know what you're thinking."

"So now you're psychic?" Amy asked, attempting to lighten the mood and failing horribly.

"Why are you so nervous?" he asked. "Come on. Look at me." She slowly turned in her seat, giving him a sheepish look. "It's just me. It's not like we haven't discussed our sex lives before."

"But _we've _never had sex before!" Amy burst out, her statement coming out a little louder than planned and garnering a few glances from bystanders. She closed her eyes in embarrassment as Bruce began talking.

"I never said it was going to be an easy transition, and I'm not going to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to..."

"Obviously."

"But," Bruce continued, shooting her a dirty look, "it's gonna be something that happens eventually..."

"Hopefully," Amy said, then instantly regretted her words. He was going to tease her about that _endlessly_.

"Oh, I see how it is," Bruce said, nodding his head. "You just didn't want to come off as being overly-eager to get into my pants."

Amy could do nothing but gape at his comment, her mouth upturning into a smile even as she attempted to correct him. "No. No, you _wish _I was overeager to get into your chinos there, Mr. Van Exel." He started laughing as she poked a finger into his chest. "I can control myself better than that."

Bruce shrugged, unfazed by her comments. "We'll see."

He began laughing again and Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes, pushing herself to her feet. "Come on, Cocky. Let's get out of here."

"Interesting choice of nickname," Bruce commented, still chuckling, as he took her outstretched hand and stood to join her. Amy paused to think about what she had just called him, then burst out laughing as it hit her. Bruce slipped his arm around her shoulders and they began walking the streets of DC once more, laughing and talking, completely comfortable yet again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They stopped at a nice cafe for lunch, glad to be eating after a long morning of wandering around the city.

Bruce pulled out Amy's chair for her, proving himself to be ever the gentleman, as they arrived at their table, and Amy sat, enjoying his attention. "Are you always this much of a gentleman with your girlfriends?" Amy asked, grinning.

Bruce shrugged nonchalantly. "Only the ones I really like." He shot her a dazzling smile, and she shook her head, picking up the menu in the center of the table.

"So, what looks good?" she asked, scanning the choices.

Bruce continued to gaze at her. "You," he said softly, causing Amy's eyes to rise over the menu and meet his.

"Come on, now you're just embarrassing me," she said, shifting her eyes down again.

"What?" Bruce asked, shaking his head back and forth. "I find it hard to believe that you'd be embarrassed by a man calling you beautiful." She raised her eyes again and he continued. "I've known you for a long time, Amy, don't forget that. I may not have always been your boyfriend, but I've seen the way you act with men. And you love being called beautiful."

Amy set down the menu. "Okay, fine. You got me. I like compliments. Who doesn't? Now can we eat?"

He chuckled at her defensiveness. "Sure. Pasta sound good?"

Amy agreed, and soon the waiter arrived, took down their orders, and tottered off to the kitchen to fill them, leaving Bruce and Amy alone again.

Amy took a drink of water as Bruce fiddled with his napkin, before he finally spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you found out about Graciela."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be," she said after a brief pause. "We'd just had a fight, and Graciela was the main cause of it."

Bruce shook his head. "That's no excuse. By me not being there when you needed someone, I'm no better than..."

Amy tilted her head. "No better than who? Go on, say it. 'David MacClaren.' That's what you're thinking, isn't it?" She chuckled. "I don't care. You're right. He left." She stopped talking and Bruce picked up a breadstick from the basket in the center of the table, contemplating it. Amy reached across the table, knocking the breadstick from his hand, and took his hands in hers. "You're not like him. Not at all. Don't even think of comparing yourself to him. I thought I loved him," she saw Bruce wince slightly, "but I know now that I was in love with the idea of him. I really thought I could help him forget about his wife. That was pretty silly of me, huh?" She laughed a little, as Bruce remained silent, not wanting to interrupt what he knew she needed to get out. "I think I always needed someone to prove to you," Bruce's eyebrows raised, "that I was worthy of being loved, of taking a chance on. I couldn't handle your rejection, so I sought men who would put me at the center of their worlds." Bruce lowered his head and closed his eyes, upset for all the pain he had put Amy through all those years. "It was selfish of me, I realize that..."

This time, Bruce shook his head, signalling he wanted to talk. "No, it wasn't selfish. You were seeking approval, and these men seemed to give that to you. I never should have let you get involved with David. Or Stu. But I didn't want to get emotionally involved." He squeezed her hand. "I know now that it was already too late, that I had fallen for you big time, and anything I'd tell you regarding your relationships would be purely subjective, purely to tell you, 'Those guys aren't any good for you, but I am.' And I wasn't ready to make that move yet. I guess I've always been a bit reserved when it comes to matters of the heart.

Amy smiled and rubbed a thumb across his knuckles. "And once work wasn't in the way, things got a whole lot easier."

Bruce nodded. "Exactly. I didn't want our relationship to ruin your career, and I didn't want a big scandal to be the start of our relationship."

The waiter arrived then with a tray of bowls filled with pasta and salad, set them before Bruce and Amy, and scurried off again before Amy spoke, poking at her salad. "Well, I don't know how sure I'd be that there's not going to be a scandal involved if I do decide to run for Senate." She took a bite, lifting her head to gauge Bruce's reaction.

He stared at her for a minute, watching her chew, then shook his head and stabbed his pasta.

Amy speared a tomato and pointed her fruit-tipped fork at him. "What? You think people are just going to leave us be? I don't think so. The media _lives_ for this kind of stuff." She brought the tomato to her mouth, crunching into it.

"You mean interracial relationships?" Bruce asked.

"No, heterosexual relationships," Amy responded sarcastically. "Of course I meant that." Bruce got a serious look on his face, and Amy instantly regretted her tone regarding the situation, one which was very hard for Bruce for overcome. "Look, I know this is hard for you. It's not easy for me, either. I've never been in this situation before." She paused. "But making this work is important to me, and I don't want to do anything to screw it up."

Bruce nodded, his mouth full of pasta. He swallowed and said, "After everything we've gone through, I doubt there's much of anything left to split us up." He smiled, and a cheeky grin grew across Amy's face, as well.

They finished their meal in either companionable silence or casual conversation, having had enough serious discussion for the moment. When they finished, Amy insisted on paying, since she was the reason they were in Washington, and they left the cafe hand in hand, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh, God, you can't be serious," Amy groaned.

Bruce sighed and manueved them past the photographer taking pictures of them, presumably to be used in one of the capital's newspapers. "And to think," Bruce commented once they were out of the photographer's view, "you're getting this kind of treatment already. Imagine your life as a senator."

She stopped walking and looked up at him, witnessed his attempt not to laugh, and continued. "I think we've had enough of Washington for awhile, don't you?" She looked at him again and he gave her a brusque nod, which she mimicked. "Alright, then. It's settled. Hartford, here we come."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Agh, I'm SO SORRY about the delay in posting on this story. Hopefully there will be more to come a lot sooner than I've updated previously. I apologize._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Amy, I thought you were taking some time for yourself." Maxine attempted to hide her surprise as she opened the front door to her daughter, whose arms were filled with suitcases.

"Well, so did I," Amy responded, hefting the luggage to the floor.

"What happened?"

Just then, the door swung open again, and Bruce walked in, lugging the rest of Amy's bags. "Where would you like these?" he asked, then noticed Maxine. "Oh, hi. Am I interrupting something?"

"Don't be silly," Amy insisted, walking over to him and motioning to the pile of suitcases on the floor. He dropped the rest of her bags and turned to her. "You know you're more than welcome here."

He nodded. "Right. Well, as much as I'm welcome here, I have a daughter I should go see. I will call you later." He leaned down to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek, as Maxine turned her eyes to the floor, giving them at least a little privacy.

Bruce straightened and left, Amy waving as he walked back outside. When the door closed, she slowly turned around and faced Maxine, who was holding back a smirk. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Maxine responded.

Amy nodded slowly. "Okay . . ." She turned back to her suitcases, ready to start hauling them upstairs.

"It's just that," Maxine started again, causing Amy to drop her bags and glance up at her again, "you shouldn't let the media get to you."

"Ma . . ."

"This type of thing is bound to happen, what with your history and all."

Amy ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, and I'm not gonna let that stop me from being happy." She turned back to her luggage and started dragging them to the stairs.

Maxine picked up a few bags and followed her. "Of course not, Amy. I wasn't suggesting you do. You need to show everyone that, not just me. By running away . . ."

"I know, I know," Amy said, depositing her bags at the top of stairs, "they win. Maybe I just wanted to come back here, just to be home, feel safe. Don't you know how that feels?"

Maxine wrapped Amy in a hug. "Of course I do. And I'm glad you came back." Amy tightened the hug, snuggling into Maxine's shoulder. "I've had enough teenage girl for awhile."

Amy backed out of her arms and swatted at her, then turned to Lauren's room. "How's she doing?"

Maxine shrugged. "She's hanging in there." Amy gave her a dubious glance. "She's stressed. It's to be expected. Her mother's considering becoming one of the biggest names in the state, and then she gets this new relationship dumped on her."

"Ma, I explained to her that Bruce and I were bound . . ."

"You don't need to explain it to me," Maxine interrupted her. "Go talk to your daughter. I'll be downstairs should anything come up in which you would need my assistance." She turned and clodded down the steps as Amy faced Lauren's room.

"Oh, God," she muttered, then walked to the door and gingerly knocked.

A few seconds later, Lauren swung open the door, the look of boredom on her face turning to one of shock. "Mom. I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

Amy walked into the room, picking stray clothes off the floor and tossing them toward the clothes hamper, as Lauren grabbed them away from her. "Planning something I should know about?"

Lauren shrugged, a faded t-shirt in her hands, and sat down on her bed. "No, I just thought you'd call before you came back home."

Amy chuckled, snagging the shirt and throwing it at the hamper. "It's my house. I can do what I want." Lauren rolled her eyes, so Amy quickly continued, joining her on the bed. "I'm not leaving you out of anything, sweetie. You have to believe me. Just because Bruce and I are together now . . ."

"I know, Mom," Lauren said, sounding slightly exasperated. "You just . . . do what you want." She stood up and began looking through her CDs.

"Oh, honey."

Lauren faced her again. "If you want to run for Senate, I'm cool with that." She turned back to the music.

"There's more than just the Senate thing to talk about, Lauren. I know I just dumped this Bruce thing in your lap, and that wasn't fair."

Lauren was silent for a few minutes, then selected a CD and turned around. "It's okay. I like Bruce. And I know you're happy with him. I can live with that."

Amy smiled, then laughed. "Well, I'm glad." She stood up and walked to her daughter. "Because I'd hate to have a dead daughter on my hands." She laughed again and wrapped her arms around her, as Lauren groaned at the bad joke.

"Not funny, Mom."

"Oh, I know, I'm such a bummer." She loosened the hug and tipped Lauren's face to face her own. "You gonna be okay?"

Lauren nodded, her lips tight, but didn't say anything. Amy released her, giving her a final kiss on top of the head as she did so, then turned for the door.

"Love your guts," Amy announced, looking back at Lauren and awaiting a response.

"Love you, too, Mom," Lauren responded quietly, still not looking at Amy.

Amy sighed and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her and pressing her forehead against it. It would take time. She knew that. But that didn't mean she had to like it. She closed her eyes against the thought, but they flew open again as she felt the door opening.

Her eyes focused on Lauren, who was standing there, still holding the doorknob. Lauren spoke.

"I meant it, Mom. I love you."

"Oh, honey, I know," Amy responded, and emotion overtook her. She gathered Lauren into her arms, pressing her daughter's head against her chest. "I know. It's just . . . hard. For all of us. It'll get better."

She felt Lauren nod against her. "I know. Just . . ." Amy looked down at her as Lauren pulled her head away to look up her. "Do what you need to do, and I'll try to handle it."

Amy smiled through the tears that were now flowing down her face, and sniffed. "Will do. Let's just hope Ma can do the same." They both started to laugh, and Amy released Lauren, heading toward the door again.

The journey would be a arduous one for all of them, but she was confident they'd make it through relatively unscathed. She smiled as she closed the door and shuffled down the stairs.


End file.
